Indicator-lock.



W. J. CARROLL.

NDICATOR LOCK.

APPLICATION FlLED JULY 14,1913.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

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WITNESSES."

W. I. CARROLL.

INDICATOR LOCK.

APPLICATHJN FILED JULY 14, 1913- 1,252,549. Patented Jan. 8,1918.

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ATTORNEY.

pnrrnn erases Parana entree.

WILLIAM J. CARROLL, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 SARGEN T & COM- PANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

INDICATOR-LOCK.

Application filed July 14, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM J. CARROLL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicator- Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to looks which are furnished with means for indicating whether the door is locked or unlocked, and it refers more especially to a hotel lock having an indicator which can be read by feeling or touch as well as visually. This last named feature, however, is not essential in all aspects of the invention.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a lock wherein the indicating means proper is carried by the strike plate or striker, whereby such means is conveniently located for access at or near the margin or edge of the door and adjacent the jamb. It is also proposed to provide an indicator lock in which the indicating means is carried by the jamb of the door frame and is adapted to be actuated by engagement with the head of a bolt as the latter is protracted. I also contemplate the provision of an indicating member associated with the door frame and movable in a plane parallel to that of the door as the bolt is protracted and retracted. The invention also purposes the provision of certain general and detail features of improvement in indicator locks as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation v of a door and door frame equipped with a lock in which my invention is embodied. In this view one of the bolts has been thrown from the outside and the indicator shows that the door is locked,

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a similar section but showing the bolt withdrawn, the indicator being in position to indicate that the door is unlocked.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the strike, and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the strike showing the relation thereof to the lock proper.

In the drawing, 10 indicates the door and 11 the door frame or jamb. I have shown the door as equipped with a two-bolt lock of the general type illustrated in Patent No. 898,434 granted to Sargent Company on September 15, 1908, as my asslgnee. The lock shown in the drawings comprises a Specification of Letters Patent.

' shown) Patented J an. 8, 1918.

Serial No. 778,988.

casing 12 having an inside bolt 13 and an outside bolt 14, the latter being operable only by way of an outside keyhole 15 in the outside escutcheon 16 and the inside bolt 18 being operable only by way of an inside keyhole 17 in the inside escutcheon (not The parts just mentioned are only diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, and I may state at the outset that in some aspects of my invention the particular type of the lock proper is entirely immaterial.

The strike 18 is, for the most part, of usual form and it is mortised in the door jamb in the usual way as shown. The head of the outside bolt 14 is adapted to enter an opening 19 in the strike and the inside bolt 18 is adapted to enter an opening 20. The head of the bolt 14 is adapted to engage a lever 21 pivoted on thestrike 18 at the rear thereof which lever is adapted to operate an indicating member 22 associated with the j amb at the outside of the. door. In the form shown, the lever 21 is provided with a head 21 adapted to be engaged by the head 14 of the bolt 14, and said lever is fulcrumed or pivoted between lugs 23 on the rear of the strike plate to swing in a horizontal plane 71. e. transversely of the strike plate. The end 21 of the lever 21 is adapted to engage and operate the indicating member I 22 which may consist of a plunger guided in an extension 24 at one side of the strike. In the form shown the extension 24 comprises a block mortised in the door jamb so as to be substantially flush with the same and it is provided with a guide opening 24 for the plunger 22. This guide opening is counterbored at its rear part as shown at 25, in order to house a spring 26 which embraces the plunger 22 between a shoulder 27 on the strike and a shoulder 28 on the rear end of the plunger. The tendency of the spring 26 is to hold the plunger 22 in the position shown in Fig. 8, which may by termed its retracted position. In this position the forward or outer end of the plunger is substantially flush with the outer surface of the extension 24 and with the jamb, in the embodiment illustrated, but this feature is more or less immaterial.

Fig. 3 illustrates the normal position of the indicator. Those who are familiar with the operation of the lock will know that when the )lunp'er 22 is in the osition room is occupied for the outside bolt 14L must be withdrawn to enable the guest to enter the room, and if he locks the door to operate the indicator.

from the inside, he will use, another bolt 2'. 6., the inside bolt 18. In other words, the outside bolt will always be withdrawn when the guest enters the room and this bolt will not be operated again -until the guest leaves the room, wherefore the indicating member 22 in calling attention to the unlocked condition of the outsidebolt will indicate that the room is occupied. When the guest leaves the room and locks the bolt lat from the outside, the head 1% of the bolt in passing into the opening 19 of the strike will engage the head 21 of the lever 21. The other end 21 of the lever 21 will thereby be moved in the opposite direction, pushing the plunger 22 forward and outwardly by engagement with the inner end of the plunger. moved outward by the protraction of the outside bolt, as shown in Figs. land 2 and it is held in this position by the bolt. Hence the projecting position of the plunger 22 indicates that the door has been locked from the outside and that the room is unoccupied.

It will be apparent that the projecting or non-projecting position of the plunger 22 may be determined by the sense of feeling when the light is poor or when there is no light at all. Under such circumstances, it is merely necessary for the chambermaid to run her hand along the door jamb. If the plunger projects outwardly the room is unoccupied; if it is withdrawn so as to be practically flush with the door anib, she will understand that the room is occupied. The device therefore serves as amanual test member, i. 6., a member to be tested manually, to determine the position of the 'bolt with which it is associated. Of course, a reversal of this arrangement would be within the scope of my invention, and manifestly I do not limit myself in all aspects of the invention to a plunger or like sliding indicator or to a lever pivoted to the strike The plunger, or its equivalent, not only forms a visual indicator but also serves as a manual test member at the outside of the door, which can be read by the sense of touch.

It will be obvious that in some cases the indicator maybe used with a lock having a single bolt, under which circumstances the position of the indicator will merely indicate thelocked or unlocked condition of the bolt. incertain aspects of the invention, the indicator may cooperate directly with the inside bolt of a lock having separately operable inside and outside bolts. The foregoing description is necessarily a detailed one in so far as it concerns the particular embodiment of my invention selected for illustra- The plunger is thus Furthermore, it will be e 'ident that tion and description, and I have not attempted to show and describe the numerous modifications which may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. An indicator strike for looks, having a movable test member adapted to be felt by the hand from the outside of the room and to thereby give an indicationof the condition of the lock to which said strike is appurtenant, and means on the strike for operating said member by the movement of the lock bolt; substantially as described.

2'. A look strike of the mortise type, comprising a plate with a bolt opening, a part on said plate adapted to extend outward beyond the outer face of the door when said plate is applied to the door j amb so that said part can be felt by the hand, a manual test member carried by said'part, and means on the strike for operating said manual test member from the lock bolt; substantially as described. r v r BJThe combination with a door, a door jamb, a bolt on the door, and a strike plate mortised in the door jamb to receive said bolt, of an extension on the strike plate projecting beyond the edge of the door so as to be accessible from the outside of the room,

a manual test member on said extension adapted to be felt by the hand, and means ber operated by said lever, and a spring normally holding said indicating member in a predetermined position; substantially as described.

G. A strike for locks, having an extension i on one side adapted to be mortised in the door jamb, and an indicator associated with saidextension; substantially as described.

7. A strike for looks, having an extension at one side'adapted to be mortised in the jamb, a sliding indicating member guided in said extension in a plane parallel to the door, and means to operate said member by the movement of the bolt; substantially as described.

S. The combination with a door and door jamb, of a bolt on the door, a strike mortised in the jamb and having an opening to re-. ceive said bolt, a manual test member mountedin the door amb at the outside of the door, and means for moving said test niein-,

ber concurrently with said bolt, but in another direction, comprising a member mounted on the jamb and extending back of the bolt opening in the strike; substantially as described.

9. The combination with a door and door jamb, of a bolt on the door, a strike comprising a fiat plate mortised in the jamb and having an opening to receive said bolt, a sliding manual test member mounted within the jamb at the outside of the door so that it can be felt by the hand, and means for moving said test member outward in the door j amb as said bolt is protracted into the strike; substantially as described.

10. The combination with a door and door frame, of a lock on the door having a bolt, a strike on the door j amb to receive said bolt, a sliding manual test member mounted within the jamb at the outside of the door and adapted to project from the jamb so that it can be felt by the hand, and means for setting said test member automatically as the bolt is protracted into the strike; sub stantially as described.

11. The combination with a door and doorframe, of a mortise lock on the door haying a bolt, a strike mortised in the door jamb to receive said bolt, a movable manual test member mounted in the door jamb at the outside of the door and adapted to project from the jamb so that it can be felt by the hand, and means for moving said test member outward in the door j amb as said bolt is protracted into the strike, comprising a member extending back of the bolt opening in the strike; substantially as described.

12. The combination with a door and door frame, of a mortise lock on the door having a bolt, a strike mortised in the door jamb to receive said bolt, a sliding indicator plunger mounted in the jamb at the outside of the door and adapted to project from the jamb so that it can be felt by the hand, and means back of the strike for moving said plunger outward in the door jamb to the projected position aS the bolt is protracted into the strike; substantially as described.

13. The combination with a door and door frame, of a mortise lock on the door having a bolt, a strike mortised in the door jamb to receive said bolt, a sliding indicator plunger mounted in the jamb at the outside of the door and adapted to project from the jamb so that it can be felt by the hand, and means extending back of the bolt opening in the strike for moving said plunger outward in the door jamb to the projected position as the boltis protracted into the strike, said plunger movable in a plane parallel to that of bolt; substantially as described.

11. The combination with a door and door frame, of a mortise lock on the door having Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by

a bolt, a strike mortised in the door j amb to receive said bolt, a movable manual test member mounted in the door jamb at the outside of the door and adapted to be felt by the hand, and means located in the door jamb and cooperating with said test mem ber and said bolt for setting said test member automatically in indicating condition when said bolt is protracted; substantially as described.

15. The combination with a door and door frame, of a mortise lock on the door having a bolt, a strike mortised in the door jamb to receive said bolt, a movable manual test member on the door j amb at the outside of the door adapted to be felt by the hand, and means mounted in the door j mb and cooperating with said test member and bolt for moving said test member relatively to the jamb on the protraction of said bolt; substantially as described.

16. The combination with a door and door frame, of a mortise lock on the door having a bolt adapted to secure the door to the frame, means for operating said bolt, a movable manual test member mortised in the door jamb at the outside of the door and adapted to be felt by the hand, and means mortised in the door jamb back of said manual test member and cooperating therewith o set said test member in a projecting indieating position automatically on the protraction of said bolt; substantially as de scribed.

17 A look strike comprising a fiat plate having a bolt opening and a part adapted to be exposed at the exterior of the door, a manual test indicator carried by said exposed part of the strike, and means for operating said indicator concurrently with the movement of the lock bolt; substantially as described. 7

18. A look strike, comprising a plate having a bolt opening, a lever pivoted on the plate intermediate of the ends of said lever, and having one end projecting back of said bolt opening so as to be engaged by the bolt, and an indicating device operative by the 0pposite end of said lever; substantially as described.

19. A look strike comprising a plate having a bolt opening, an indicating plunger movable inward and outward in said plate, and means for moving said plunger outward in said plate as the lock bolt is projected into said opening; substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 11th day of July, 1913.

WILLIAM J. CARROLL.

Witnesses Y M. J. OMARA, MINNIE TV. ROTH.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

